Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I feel like I've made all sorts of snickerdoodle recipes in my baking life so how is it that I've never made Pumpkin Snickerdoodles before? Do you know what I was missing?? That's my overly dramatic way of saying these were really good cookies.

They don't spread much so if you don't want them to look like little puff balls, make them the size you want and flatten them to the thickness you prefer (they'll still puff a little in the oven though). The first batch I baked, I kept them as dough balls and they were rather craggy-looking puffs. For the second cookie sheet, I flattened them into thick discs and they emerged looking more like cookies and less like golf balls that had seen a hard day on the course. However you shape them, they taste good. The pumpkin flavor isn't overwhelming and they still retain their snickerdoodle-y-ness, especially with the coating. These are hard to tell when they're done so you might want to time them. I underbaked the first batch and they were a bit gooey. Still good but would've benefited from another minute or two in the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and
nutmeg. Whisk together to blend. In a large bowl, beat together butter
and sugars on medium speed until well combined. Next, still on medium
speed, beat in pumpkin. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Lastly,
add in the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, but do not over mix.
Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm. (I make them as dough balls first before chilling.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together
the sugar and spices for the sugar coating. If you haven't already done so, scoop dough (approximately 2
1/2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar
mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches
between each cookie. Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and
moisten with water. Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to
flatten the dough balls. Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove when the centers of the
cookies have set. Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5
minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.